APPLE has unleashed a brand new iPad Mini packed with AI features, three years after the previous model.
The good news is that the tablet is on the cheaper end of Apple’s line-up at £499 – but there’s a way to knock another £50 off the price.
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Apple’s last iPad Mini came out in 2021, leaving fans twiddling their thumbs for years.
Now there’s a brand new model that comes with a faster A17 Pro chip.
That’s the same processor that powered last year’s premium iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro max.
And it means that this new 8.3-inch iPad Mini can offer Apple Intelligence AI features.
So you’ll get Writing Tools that can rewrite, proofread, and summarise things that you’ve written.
You’ll also be able to talk to Siri in a more natural way, and use Clean Up to remove unwanted objects or people from photos.
The iPad itself has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and a 12-megapixel camera on the back.
It comes with 128GB of storage as standard, which is double the previous model.
And it also works with the newer Apple Pencil Pro (which you’ll need to buy separately, for £129).
However you can still use the cheaper Apple Pencil (USB-C), and that only costs £79.
Apple also reckons you’ll get “all-day battery life” from the new device.
“There is no other device in the world like iPad mini, beloved for its combination of powerful performance and versatility in our most ultraportable design,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s VP of marketing.
“iPad mini appeals to a wide range of users and has been built for Apple Intelligence, delivering intelligent new features that are powerful, personal, and private.
“With the powerful A17 Pro chip, faster connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil Pro, the new iPad mini delivers the full iPad experience in our most portable design at an incredible value.”
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The new gadget is available for pre-order today, but won’t be in stores until Wednesday, October 23.
It starts at £499 for the Wi-Fi model, but there’s a cellular version too that’ll set you back £649.
You can also increase the storage to either 256GB or 512GB, but you’ll be paying extra for the luxury.
It comes in four colours: Starlight and Space Grey, as well as new Blue and Purple options.
MORE FEATURES…COMING SOON!
The iPad Mini will also be upgraded with more AI features, “rolling out over the next several months”. Here’s what Apple says is coming…
- Image Playground allows users to create playful images in moments.
- Image Wand is a new tool in the Apple Pencil tool palette that can transform a rough sketch into a polished image.
- Emoji will be taken to an entirely new level with the ability to create original Genmoji by simply typing a description, or by selecting a photo of a friend or family member.
- Siri will be able to draw on a user’s personal context to deliver intelligence that is tailored to them. It will also gain onscreen awareness to understand and take action with users’ content, as well as take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps.
- With ChatGPT integrated into experiences within iPadOS 18, users have the option to access its expertise, as well as its image- and document-understanding capabilities, within Siri and Writing Tools without needing to jump between tools. And privacy protections are built in so a user’s IP address is obscured, and OpenAI won’t store requests. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and ChatGPT’s data-use policies apply for those who choose to connect their account.
And if you’re worried about the cost, you can knock another £50 off the price.
Apple is offering “education” pricing for the device, bringing it down to just £449.
This covers a fairly broad range of people, so you might find that you’re eligible even if you’re not a student yourself.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
“Education pricing is available to current and newly accepted college students and their parents,” Apple explained.
“As well as faculty, staff, and home-school teachers of all grade levels.”
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